Pathways Inpatient Care Center

Don is a native of Fort Collins, CO and first became interested in this exciting field while growing up as a teenager. Living close to the mountains and an agriculture area where landscape and wildlife opportunities are abundant, Don developed a love, admiration, and respect for photography. While in college, he took the opportunity to participate in numerous photo classes, outdoor photo workshops and seminars and used the educational and hands-on practical experience to expand his interest and technical knowledge of photography. He used those academic and practical hands-on experiences to expand the fundamental skills and keen eyesight to capture unique photographic images.

From as far back as I can remember I have always had my hands in the Arts. A self-taught artist starting at the age of four, my creative journey began with pencil, pens, and pastels. At the age of ten I started writing music on the piano and at twelve I picked up my first paintbrush and began using oils and acrylics – painting my world and visions in abstract. In college, I discovered sculpting in clay...and photography. After learning on an old Pentax 35MM and spending many hours in the darkroom, I still follow the same logic – wait for the shot, so as not to waste film. To this day, I can still smell the solutions of the dark room. I set aside photography for a time and continued to paint abstract art. That is until I received my first digital camera. Once armed with this new tool, I began capturing the beauty of the earth.
I hope that through my photography I inspire others to stop, look around and be witness to all the beauty that is around us. Art is the journey the soul takes. I find this magic in the ordinary days.

Most of my life I have enjoyed painting, but there was a particular moment when my son and I were painting together, and I realized how much I love painting, and I made a promise to myself to try to paint every day, and I have been painting almost every day since. I am awed by how much painting has changed my life. Life is too short and precious not to be spent doing what we love. I am amazed at how the more I paint, the easier and more intuitive it becomes. Lately I have been inspired by dynamic clouds and sky, the blues and greens of rolling mountains and trees, the contrast of orange sunlit rocks against brilliant-dark blue sky... I love to paint scenes that have a special meaning to me in some way. I strive to bring the feeling of nature into my paintings with brilliance and color. I hope to share all this with you.

Renee Walkup grew up loving art and nature in Kansas City while influenced by her father, an accomplished oil painter. She graduated from Stephens College with a concentration in Art. After a career as a professional speaker and international corporate trainer, Renee found herself pursuing her dream of creating mosaics. Her 3D mosaic work has ranged from furniture to wall hangings, vases, clocks, and musical instruments, using reclaimed and upcycled materials. Renee’s inspiration comes from stunning sunrises, wide skies, plants, and wildlife near her newly-adopted home in Northern Colorado. Taking advanced mosaic classes from professionals around the world provides new learning experiences for Renee, while she procures interesting pieces to include in her work. When not in her studio, Renee volunteers in and around Fort Collins and hikes the many trails around Northern Colorado.

I am a self-taught Landscape and Nature photographer based in beautiful Loveland, Colorado. My passion is capturing the beauty around me through my photography. There is nothing better than to go explore our rivers and lakes or to take a hike in the beautiful mountains of Colorado! Sunrises are my special moments that I love to photograph the most. The stillness of the morning, the soft colors that the morning light provides. My hope is when you view my images, you will feel the peace and tranquility in that moment. Whether I am shooting Landscapes, Florals, or Wildlife it is always a pleasure shooting God's creations.

Born and raised in San Antonio Texas my father had a photography biz when he was younger, so he kept a camera in my hands from a very early age. I loved how I was able to capture my memories in one place, allowing me to truly remember a place at that exact time. Now living in Estes Park, Colorado, I find myself capturing the beauty Mother nature holds, to share it with others. If I can move my audience to really care about a place then I have succeeded through the medium of pictures which build compassion and emotion. Photography remains a passion of mine simply because I love the feeling that I get when someone comes across an image of mine that they connect with, that inspires them to get out and see the world around for themselves.

Born in Belgrade, Serbia in 1958, Ugljesa Janjic is one of the more exiting and original watercolor painters of today. His passion for Colorado landscapes, its mountains and rivers, reflections and atmosphere come to life and shine through his art. With masterful strokes and an exceptionally spontaneous style in use of light and shadow, sharp contrasts and bold use of intense bursts of color, his watercolors breathe the outdoors of incredible beauty that only nature can produce. There is a unique spiritual connection one has to feel when contemplating Janjic’s original watercolors. Lightness and texture of paper so delicately manipulated and hardly disturbed invokes the memories of nature, wind and snow that his paintings depict.

Jenifer Cline is drawn to color and texture, emotions and the challenge of light. Drawing on her experience with three dimensional works, Jenifer explores how color and light create shape and depth in a painting. Her inspiration for painting comes from a wide range of subjects including landscapes, wildlife, and portraiture. Plein Air work is her particular favorite focus as it allows the artist to portray the immediacy of the moment. Her work resides in public and private collections nationally, and she has exhibited in numerous juried shows and won many awards. “The depth of color and texture an artist can achieve with oils produces an excitement and a responsibility in the creative process. The challenge is to find a way for your creative vision to speak to your audience.”

The art of C.C. Opiela is bold, dramatic, sensual and cabalistic. This is an artist leaping beyond the conventions of a known reality and beckoning the viewer to follow her to enter the landscapes of infinity. With an open ended vision she peers into reality and beyond which is seen. Her paintings are a record of her mystical journeys of bright colors, light, and textures. The dance into the mysteries of life and the glimpses into the secret delights is served deliciously by her unique, creative and expansive vision. Working with experimental, mixed water-media on paper and canvas, the artist creates her expressions of an abstract world. C.C. Opiela was born in Chicago, IL. At 16 she began her art studies at the famed Art Institute of Chicago. Her Saturday’s and free time were committed to immersing herself into her studies, fueling her passion for art, and surrounding herself with great masters of art. After attending art school, C.C continued her studies, in psychology and philosophy. The mixture of knowledge and understanding of the psyche is what allows C.C. to interpret what she reads on an emotional level and translate it into the visual medium of abstract design. She has been the recipient of many awards. C.C. has exhibited in numerous one-woman shows and her works are included in major collections throughout the US and abroad.

Billie J. Colson was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She met and married her husband Ron in Houston in the early 80’s. They then moved to DeSoto, a suburb of Dallas and started a family. There Billie became involved with the DeSoto Art League and served as president for the organization from 1994-1996. She and her family relocated to Loveland Colorado in the summer of 1998. Colson has been painting and drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil. She has always had a passion for drawing animals. For most of her younger years she drew horses, over the years she starting doing many other subjects. Since moving to Loveland Colorado Colson got very involved in the art community. In June of 2005 Colson inspired the downtown art walk known as “A Night on the Town”. This walk includes not only galleries & studios but the other downtown Loveland businesses as well. Night on the Town celebrates the 15th Anniversary in June. In October 2006 Colson opened Independence Gallery in downtown Loveland Colorado and invited a dozen other area artists to join her in this venue. In 2009 Colson organized Loveland’s first annual artist’s studio tour. In 2010 she started writing an art column for the “Loveland Connection” a local newspaper. One of her proudest accomplishments is her annual fundraiser 65 Roses for Cystic Fibrosis. After Colson’s granddaughter was born with the genetic disease in 2008, she decided to host a fundraiser during the month of February and inviting other artists to donate miniature paintings of roses (making for a great valentine) with all proceeds benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. To date over $140,000 has been raised through this cause. Colson plans to continue exploring the world of art. Her choice of subject matter is always changing for she say’s “there are so many wonderful and beautiful things to paint.”